Method of making shoes



A. BATES.

METHOD 0F MAKING SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 12. 1920.

` 1,419,203. l Patented June 13,A 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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A. BATES.

METHOD 0F MAKING'SHOES.

APPLICATION man Nov.12, 1920.

. Patented June 13, 1922.

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ARTHUR BATES, Ol? LEICESTER, ENGLA.I\ID ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPGRATION, 0F PATERSON, NEW' JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF HEARING SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pafijqgud Jian@ 13, 1'922 Original application led June 15, 1916, Serial No. 103.747. Divided and this application filed November 1a, 1920. serial No. 423,631'.

To all 107mm t may concern.'

Be it known that l, ARTHUR Barns, a sul ject ot the King of England, residing at Leicester, Leicestershire, England` have invented certain Improvements in Methods or" Making Shoes, oi which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several iigures.

This invention relates to methodsot making shoes, and particularly to that part oi' shoe manufacture in which the upper is shaped in conformity to the contour of a last or other shoe form, the present application being a division ot my earlier application Serial No. 103,747, tiled on June l5, 1916. The invention has in view the provision of a method adapted to secure improved sults in the making of welt or other shoes wherein the margin oi' the upper is worked inwardly over the bottom ot the last, for ei;- ample into lasted relation to a sole or insole, hereinafter generally termed for convenience the sole, but it will be understood that in some oit its aspects the invention is not limit ed to the manufacture of shoes of this particular type.

ln the lasting of welt shoes particular difficulties are involved in shaping the upper tightly over the toe of the last and over the 'feather of the sole without the presence in parts of the upper that are visible in the completed shoe oit' wrinkles which tend to form ahead ot the wipers as the margin ot the upper is gathered Within a contracted area inwardly from the edge of the solo. lilith the object` among others, ot eliminating such difficulties in the lasting oi' welt and other shoes, the present invention provides a method whereby in the shaping oit upper materials inwardly over the bottom of a form or last the pressures are so distributed ard the margin of the upper so controlled as to afford no opportunity tor wrinkles to vform as the upper is worked yinwardly 'from the Iedge of the last bottom. For the purposes in view, the practice of the method in the manner herein illustrated comprises working the margin of the upper inwardly over a sole with substantially uniform pressure all round the toe by' the aid of a selteonforming wiper member, for

example a Aflexible loop wiper, while clampup stock at any point or points where err- Acessive tension is produced by the indrawing vpull of the wiper, thus assisting in equalizing the strains while providing the requisite upper stock for ther overwiping operation.

In a further aspect, the invention has in view the stretching and pulling oi' the upper over the top ot the torepartot' the last in addition to working it inwardly about the last, for example, over the bottom of the last as above set iiorth, the practice herein illustrated involving the giving up of stock from the clamped margin both in stretching it heightwise ot' the last and in working it in- 'wardly over the last bottom. Since suo stantially less pressure on the. margin' or' the upper is required to control it in the desired manner during the operation et working it inwardly about the last than in pulling and stretching the upper heightwise ot the last, the invention further provides for relaxing the clamping pressure after the upper pulling` operation, thus facilitating, `for example, the over-wiping ot' the upper to its finally shaped or lasted position. l

The novel method o t this invention, in the above mentioned and other aspects, will now be more particularly set ttorth byl reference to the accompanying drawings which ,illus` trate the various steps and show one 'form of apparatus by the aid ot which the method may be practicedr such apparatus being more Jfully shown and described in my prior yapplication ot which this is a division.

ln the drawings:

Fig. l is a view illustrating the treatment oit a shoe, in accordance with one manner of practising the methochby the aid of the machine shown and described in said'prior application, the'headportion of the machine being shown in side elevation;

Fig. 2 shows the shoe and parts of the structure of Fig. lV as they appear at an substantially uniform along all portions of thll margin of the upper. Meantime the margin is held continuously in an outspread and unwrinkled condition round the toe, and as the flexible ,wiper engages the upper close to the clamping means and close to the edge of the shoe bottom` no opportunity is afforded for wrinkles to form in the overwiping` operation. As the wiper is pulled inwardly, the clamping plate i6 is also permitted to move inwardly in response to the pull of the wiper, such inward movement being assisted further by the treadle spring connected as hereinbefore described to the means which operates said plate. By reason of such inward movement of the plate the plate is maintained in close relation to the licxible wiper throughout the overwiping operation, which is of further assistance in preventing the formation of wrinkles. lt will be understood that in this second stage. of the cycle of the machine the slide 121iis slightly retracted, permitting the springs 7X to press the side grippers part way inward laterally of the shoe in directions for overdrawing the upper.

pince less clamping pressure on the margin of the upper is required to control the upper properly in the overwiping operation than is required in stretching the upper heightwise of the last, it is desirable to facilitate the overwiping` action by relieving somewhat the clamping` pressure. lt will be noted by .reference to Fig. l that the upper arm of the lever 28 is connected to a spring which tends to pull it rearwardly, and that it carries a detent 56 the rear end of which abuts against the front end of aslide Sl* with which machines of the illustrative type are provided for controlling the overdrawing movements of the gripper-s and the operation of the tackers. Then the machine is started the second time, the slide SLSX receives a slight rearward movei'nent from 'its dotted line position to its full line position (Fig. thus permitting the spring to act ou the lever 2S to swing the lower arm of the lever forwardly and upwardly. lt will be noted that the lever 28 and the rod 24 constitute a toggle which in the upper pulling operation is held substantially straight by the slide. 81SX throughthe connections above described, this toggle being broken in consequence of the slight rearward movement of the slide SlSX. In this way the clamping pressure on the margin of the upper is somewhat relaxed, permitting the margin of the upper slip more roadily the flexible member 60 is drawn rearwardly to wipe the upper into lasted position.

The machine comes to a stop the second time with the parts in the position shown in Fig. l, the upper being` held in lasted position, by the flexible wiper. For fastening the upper in this position the side tackers l0 are provided with means (Figs. 4: and') for holding a binder cord e across the lower ends of tack driver passages so' that the tacks will pass through the cord when they are driven. The cord is applied round the end of the shoe in the crease formed by the flexible wiper with the portions of the cord at the sides of the toe extending through' the tackers, and the opposite ends of the cord are hooked into tensioning members 7 6, as indicated in 'Fig 4t. The cord having been thus arranged the machine is started for the third time, whereupon the side grippers complete their overdrawing movement and the side tackers also complete their inward movement and drive the tacks. tackers, as shown in Fig. 4, have a com.- ponent of rearward movement to assist in tightening the binder cord round the end of the shoe before Ait is fastened. After the tacks have been driven to yfasten the binder cord, the parts of the machine immediately return to their starting positions and the shoe is released. It will be understood that before the shoe is removed the ends' of the binder cord are to be disengaged from the members 76, or if desired the cord maybe cut at the opposite sides.

It will be obvious fromthe foregoing de-k scription that, generally considered, the invention is not dependent upon the character of the member over which the upper 'is shaped, and the term last7 is accordingly to be understood as used herein in a generic sense and not by way of limit-ation.

Having explained the nature of the invention and set forth fully how rit may be practiced. what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working the margin of an upper inwardly round the end of a last and over the feather of a sole on the bottom of the last into lasted relation to the rib or shoulder of the sole by the aid of a flexible wiper conformable at all points to the ,contour of the shoe, and while thus working the upper inwardly over the sole,

holding the margin of the upper clamped on a substantially continuous line round the toe to maintain the upper in an unwrinkled condition for the action of the flexible wiper.

That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working the margin of an upper inwardly round the toe end of a last over the margin of the bottom of the last by the aid of a flexible wiper conform-able at all points to the contour of the shoe, and while thus workingr the upper inwardly over the bottom of the last holding the margin of the upper yieldingly `against the pull of the wiper while giving up stock from the margin at points Where an excess Ther of tension .is produced by the indrawing pull oit' the wiper.

B. That improvement in methods of ma ing' shoes which consists in clamping the margin ot an upper on a substantially continuous line round the toe or a last andhold ine` the upper under tension and tree from wrinkles, and then drawing' the upper inwardly to the rib or shoulder ot a sole o n the bottom of the last by the' aid oit a i'lexible loop wiper while continuing to hold the upper under tension and `giving' up stock trom the clamped margin at points where an excess of tension is produced by the indrawing pull of the wiper.`

l-. That improvement in methods of malvingshoes which consists in clamping` the margin ot an upper round the toe oi? a last and pulling' the upper heightwise of the last,

i and drawing the upper inwardly to the rib or shoulder ot a sole on the bottom of the last by the aid ot a flexible loop wiper while holding the upper under tension and `giving up stock Yfrom the clamped margin at points where excessive tension is produced by the indrawing pull of the wiper. y

That improvement in methods o'l' malrshoes which consists in clamping the gin oil an upper round the toe of a last and pulling' the upper heightwise of the last while permittiiu;- the m argin to slip at points where excessive tension is applied, and then drawinpr the upper inwardly into lasted position over a sole on the bottom of the last by the aid of a liexible wiper while continuing to hold the upper under tension and permitting' the marginto slip in responseto excessive tension. l l

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in clamping` the i'iiaigin oi an upper round the toe of a last and pulling the upper heightwise ot the last, and then relaxing' the clampilngr pressure on the margin ot the upper and drawing` it inwardly round the toe oi. the last by the aid ol a iexibl@ loop member engaging it outside o lE the area ot the clamped margin while permitting the margin to slip inY response to the pull or' said member.

7. That improvement in methods of malr- 'ing shoes which consists in clamping the margin of an upper round the toe of a last and pulling' it heightwise ot the last while Living` up stock 'trom the clamped margin at points oi2 excessive tension to shape the upper under substantially uni'liorm tension over the high and the low parts ot the` contour ot the last, and then working the upper inwardly around the end oit the last while holdingr the margin under a reduced pres sure and giving up stock from the margin at points Where the inward pull exceeds the resistance oit such reduced pressure.

8. That improvement in methods oimalrn ing shoes which consists in clamping the margin of an upper on a substantiallyY continuous line round the toe of' a last and pullingthe upper heightwise of the last while maintaining` the upper lree trom wrinkles around the toepand then relaxing the clamping pressure ou the margin of the upper while rontinuing to hold it 'l'ree from wrinkles and drawing' the upper inwardly to the rib or shoulder ot a sole on the bottom ot the last by theaid ot a 'Flexible wiper conformable at all points to the contour of the shoe.

9. That improvement in methods of malring shoes which consists in clampingr the margin of an upper outsin'ead round the toe of a last and pulling' the upper heightwise` olf the last, and then drawing the upper inwardly over the bottom or' the last by the aid of a iiexible wiper' while rarrying the clamped margin inwardly and permitting' it to slip at points where excessive tension is produced by the pull ot the wiper.

10. That improvement in methods of pulling over'and lastingr the 'toreparts ot shoes which consists in clamping the margin ot an upper outspread round the toe ot a last and independently gripping; the margin also farther rearwardly at opposite sides of the torepart and pulling;` the upper' heightwise ofthe last7 and then reducing' the clampingJ pressure on the margin while continuing to hold` it outspread and working' the upper inwardly over the bottom ot the last.

11. That improvement inmethods ot pull ing over and lasting the toreparts of shoes which consists in clamping the margin of an "upper on a substantially continuous line round the end and along the sides of the toe `oit a last and independently gripping' the margin also farther rearwardly at opposite sides `of the orepart and pulling' the upper heightwise of the last. and while continuing; to hold the upper under tension round the toe pulling' it inwardly over the bottom oit the last by the aid o'f a flexible wiper conforming at all points to the contour ot the shoe.

12. That improvement in methods ot maliing` shoes which consists in clamping` the margin of an upper round the toe end of a last and holding the Iupper free from wrinkles round 1the toe. drawing' the upper inwardly over the feather of al sole on the bottom of the last by the aid ot a iiexible loop wiper while continuingV to hold the upper tree from wrinkles, and then applying a binder in the angle between the feather and the rib of the sole to hold the upper and removing the iiexible wiper for use on an,

other' shoe.

1n testimony whereot` I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR BATES. 

